Christmas gift play & plums

Just after Christmas a plum tree in our backyard became laden with fruit - they were sweet, but small.  We collected enough to make our first batch of Bakewell Plum Jam.  We used this recipe and can highly recommend this recipe.

 Sometime play just happens without manufactured toys and just cause there is time.  I was so glad to have eight weeks of school holidays - it was wonderful.

Ok so first there was Christmas

I have been too caught up in the real world to spend much time in the world of the Internet. First there was Christmas - which surprised us all - I really wasn't ready for the end of the year - along with gee I don't have a job and any income coming in. But luckily both these anxieties have passed and now I have a bunch of memories to enjoy.

This Christmas was extra special as we meet Madeleine my darling niece who was born and now lives in London.  We all immediately fell in love with this little dumpling.

Did I also mention early morning & during the school holidays I made sure that I did PLENTY of sleeping in (and eating and reading books and watching movies).  Here is evidence of early morning Christmas morning, check out that grumpy.

This image is by Kd - just extraordinary and simply inspirational.  It is Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus.

Christmas Card Making at our House

Yep, making Christmas cards - with plenty to make.

Having trouble getting the kids motivated this year. We are apart of the Kids Craft Weekly International Christmas Card swap again - my goal to get all the cards out on Friday - I am ashamed to say we havent made any yet for this!

Visit here for our past four years of Christmas card making.

New

Welcome to the New Year.
It was a LONG and exhausting Christmas and very happy to have it finished and completed for another year.

Some delays to my life due to a torn calf muscle - still in recovery after 5 weeks!



Not the brightest start to my year having deleted ALL the Christmas images and videos I took of my darling children on Christmas Day - an accident due to my chuck out nature - whilst cleaning out our hard drive. I will never be able to sleep again.....

Some Christmas Cheer

Classic Christmas morning with scooter and gee I sound like a cranky Mum in that video - ouch!

Some Christmas Cheer

Classic Christmas morning with scooter and gee I sound like a cranky Mum in that video - ouch!

I wish it was Christmas

Christmas Tree up!



Here is Kd making Christmas cards - we are involved in an international card exchange organised by an extraordinary woman who runs a site called Kids Craft Weekly.

We probably wont be sending off our cards until Monday (we were meant to send them off yesterday!) Kd got his first yesterday - just lovely and we have Christmasssy sprinkles all over the front mat now!!!

Last year I was very organised (dont ask me how I did it with a one year old and three jobs!) and made an advent calendar with a family activity to do together each day - will sort this out on the train to Melbourne tomorrow morning - only 3 days late!

I wish it was Christmas

Christmas Tree up!



Here is Kd making Christmas cards - we are involved in an international card exchange organised by an extraordinary woman who runs a site called Kids Craft Weekly.

We probably wont be sending off our cards until Monday (we were meant to send them off yesterday!) Kd got his first yesterday - just lovely and we have Christmasssy sprinkles all over the front mat now!!!

Last year I was very organised (dont ask me how I did it with a one year old and three jobs!) and made an advent calendar with a family activity to do together each day - will sort this out on the train to Melbourne tomorrow morning - only 3 days late!

Christmas is here

I am very pleased it is the 1st of December - nearly Christmas!

I am surprised at myself for being so excited - as I am VERY unorganised - which is unusual for me. A month of being ill and recovering made all of my plans not really work out - oh well.

Here is J in his 16th Century Ball Room Dancing outfit for his work Christmas Party.



Lots happening Kd attending his third day of school orientation tomorrow. A baby soon to arrive - a new niece or nephew and we are working on lots of things around the house including new blinds and getting the outside painted!.

Christmas is here

I am very pleased it is the 1st of December - nearly Christmas!

I am surprised at myself for being so excited - as I am VERY unorganised - which is unusual for me. A month of being ill and recovering made all of my plans not really work out - oh well.

Here is J in his 16th Century Ball Room Dancing outfit for his work Christmas Party.



Lots happening Kd attending his third day of school orientation tomorrow. A baby soon to arrive - a new niece or nephew and we are working on lots of things around the house including new blinds and getting the outside painted!.

Waters Christmas 1

Managed to get to gym this morning - since last Sunday it has been a lot of eating and getting together with family - here is the first series of photos of a gathering with my husband's family - we also had a get together for Christmas day breakfast.

Here is my second niece - she was a little unwell this Christmas

Kd was in his element and had agreat day with his second cousin

My first niece with a ballet Christmas outfit - what more could a girl want for Christmas!


Hj on the bike - far away...


Check out all that food - thanks sis for making our Christmas so wonderful!

Waters Christmas 1

Managed to get to gym this morning - since last Sunday it has been a lot of eating and getting together with family - here is the first series of photos of a gathering with my husband's family - we also had a get together for Christmas day breakfast.

Here is my second niece - she was a little unwell this Christmas

Kd was in his element and had agreat day with his second cousin

My first niece with a ballet Christmas outfit - what more could a girl want for Christmas!


Hj on the bike - far away...


Check out all that food - thanks sis for making our Christmas so wonderful!

Kd Christmas gift note pads

On Friday another activity Kd and I did together involved loads of glitter and glue; good fun.


Don't they look great - last night I made them into note pads for his creche carers and his Daddy.

The one above on the right is a drawing of "Dad holding me while he is flying with his space boots on."

Kd Christmas gift note pads

On Friday another activity Kd and I did together involved loads of glitter and glue; good fun.


Don't they look great - last night I made them into note pads for his creche carers and his Daddy.

The one above on the right is a drawing of "Dad holding me while he is flying with his space boots on."

Christmas Advent

Inspired by that great blogging craft community out there I have a advent calendar for Kd each day of December with activity for us to do together (mostly crafting and cooking)

Here he is making salt dough decorations. I think really I should have made up daily activities like kick 5 goals or jump 20 times - he is just so full of energy and all the Christmas excitement has made it hard for him to concentrate on anything at the moment.

This post is going to be full of images - we have been off line all of last week and no posts so this one is a bit of a catch up
last Monday we visited J & B on their day off - Kd had a great time







Also the day before was jam packed as well - J splitting his eye open at soccer; the pic doesnt show all the bruising and also a swim at grandmas with Kd's best friend. Here is hoping it will be cooler this week.


Then this weekend we went to Melbourne on Friday - me to work and the kiddies and daddy to play - they meet me in the park at my work function.





We also caught up with Uncle S (not pictured here; but has featured as the creator of sticky dungeons) and Uncle M who took us to the inspiring Rose Street Artist Market. Thanks Matt